#542 The Ice Sport

Alan talks about hockey.

Alan: Yes, I was quite happy to read that the NHL’s come to an agreement with the players. And there’ll be hockey again starting in October.

Todd: Ok now as a fan of hockey or just a sports fan in general, do you think that the athletes are making too much money, that it’s ok for them to strike and ask for more money?

Alan: Yes I do think the athletes are making too much money. And I actually agree with the idea of having a salary cap, because I think it makes it more fair for all the teams in the league. Not just the big market teams that make a lot of money, but all the teams have a fair chance at the best players.

Todd: Ok, can you just explain exactly what is a salary cap?

Alan: Salary cap is the amount of money that a team is allowed to spend for their players. So, if you have a salary cap of 35 million dollars, the team is only allowed to spend that much total for all their players’ salaries.

Todd: Oh I see.

Alan: They cannot go over that.

Todd: What is the reason that you would have a salary cap? What’s the argument behind it?

Alan: So teams that have more money than other teams can’t just buy all the good players and leave the less talented players for the smaller market teams. So there’s more chance for the smaller market teams to compete with the large market teams for the good players.

Todd: So do you think that hockey now is doing well, and that you will not have a strike for a long time to come?

Alan: Yes I think after this one there won’t be another strike or lock-out for many years. Actually I think this deal is a 10-year deal. I think I read it’s a 10-year deal, so there won’t be one for at least 10 years, or longer hopefully.

I was quite happy to read that the NHL’s come to an
agreement with the players.

To 'come to an agreement' is to find a solution that makes
both people feel satisfied about the result of a
situation. You usually come to an agreement after a
discussion about the issue. Notice the following:

After three days, the members of the board finally came
to an agreement.

We have talked about this for hours now. I don't
think we'll ever come to an agreement.

strike

Do you think that the athletes are making too much money,
that it’s OK for them to strike and ask for more money?

If you 'strike,' you refuse to work again until an employer
changes a policy to meet your needs. This is usually
something organized in a big group of people. Notice
the following:

When the teachers went on strike, the children stayed
home from school.

No airplanes are flying to South America right now
because the employees are on strike.

salary cap

I actually agree with the idea of having a salary cap.

A 'salary cap' is a limit on a possible salary, or the
highest amount a person can receive for a certain type of
work or in a certain company. Notice the following:

They put a salary cap on her positions a few weeks
before she was going to get a promotion.

If a position has a salary cap, will the employees still
work as hard as they can?

talented

Leave the less talented players for the smaller market
teams.

If someone is 'talented,' then he is very capable and
skilled at what he does. Notice the following:

She was always a talented singer, but I never believed
she would be famous.

I knew right away that he was a talented hockey player.

lock-out

I think after this one there won’t be another strike or
lock-out for many years.

A 'lock out' is when a business locks the employees out of
the building and prevents them from working because of work
or business problems. Notice the following:

Although she got a few days of vacation, she wasn't
happy about the lock out.